


The Next Phase, New Wave

by newyorktopaloalto



Category: Gold Diggers (1995)
Genre: Gen, Growing Up, Post-Canon, School, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-11-18 15:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18123281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newyorktopaloalto/pseuds/newyorktopaloalto
Summary: Their story didn't end just because they got the gold and saved each other. In fact, Beth was sure that her and Jody's story wouldneverend.





	The Next Phase, New Wave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Doranwen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doranwen/gifts).



> For waybackexchange 2019! 
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't own Gold Diggers (1995), so please don't sue. Title is co-opted from Billy Joel's song, 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me'. 
> 
> Thank you for the awesome prompt to work with, and I hope that you enjoy this!

“Come on, Jody, or we're gonna be late!”

Beth looked anxiously down at her watch every three seconds as she shifted from foot to foot—her bike wobbled every time she did so, but she paid it no mind as she prepared to yell once more through the open window. 

“We won't be late.” 

A braying laugh came from behind her, and Beth whirled around to see Jody grinning, leaning against her own bike—though it was a good year and a half newer than Beth's, Jody's more practical use of the bike gave it a dated look. 

“Why did you do that?” Beth practically shrieked, slamming one hand against her handlebar as Jody continued to laugh. “Jody!” 

“The—look—on—your—face,” Jody gasped out, snorting every now and again as she continued to laugh. 

“Yeah, yeah, yuck it up.” 

Jody, as was her wont, did exactly that. 

“I can't believe you're _this_ worried about the new kid orientation, City Girl,” Jody teased. Beth rolled her eyes at the familiar insult; the moniker 'City Girl' was loving on her best friend's tongue, and the familiar crooked smile on Jody's face only enhanced the poking fun. 

“Thanks for coming with me, Jody,” Beth replied. 

“Like I have anywhere else to go—your mom's taking mine to the mall to shop for job interview dresses, remember? And _you_ complained for three days that you wouldn't be able to go too. Until I said I'd skip and keep you company, at least.” 

Beth snorted, shoving Jody a little before she put one foot on her bike pedal, and said, “Like you actually wanted to go to the mall anyways, Jody.” 

“That's not the point!” Jody exclaimed, shoving Beth back. After sticking her tongue out at her, Jody pedaled away, Beth only catching the trail of her laughter and the dust of her wake. 

“Jody!” Beth called, hopping fully onto her own bike to catch up to her best friend. “Jody, wait up.” A pause as she pedaled faster in futile attempt to make Jody wait. “Gosh, I forgot how fast you are.” 

The air was turning cool—early September in Wheaton County was a turning point in the weather, the chill of autumn seeping into her lungs, frigid and exhilarating. For the last few mornings Beth had done nothing but breathe in the air for minutes at a time; she had never smelled air so natural than in the forests of north-eastern Washington. 

“Meet—at 97—know—shortcut!” 

Beth hardly heard Jody through the wind tunnel her driveway turned into at even the slightest of breezes, but as attuned as she was to Jody's voice, she managed to catch the gist of what she was being told. It was unlikely that Jody was leading her into an actual shortcut rather than a small adventure before having to spend half a morning going over things she had probably known since before she had even gone to the high school, herself. Huffing and puffing a little, because despite what Sheriff Matt had thought, Beth wasn't as fit as she'd liked to portray—especially to Jody, whose peak physical fitness intimidated even Beth a little. Jody—who had gone against a mountain, a lake, a terrible man—who had managed to flourish into someone who made Beth a little breathless, a little envious, and made her never want to do anything else with anyone else for the rest of her life.

* * *

“Get in here, it's on after the commercial!” 

Beth, cassette box in hand, practically vaulted over the old, wooden trunk she used as a side table and onto her bed where Jody was sitting, cross-legged and holding the small microphone attached to the portable cassette player up to the speakers of Beth's stereo. 

“Shhh!” Beth's shushing was louder than Jody's 'come on, come on, come on!' but they both managed to settle down, Beth's middle finger hovering over the 'record' button. 

“It's 4:52, and you're listening to WKPX-9—next up we have 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me' by Billy Joel, and after that 'Call Me' by Blondie. Remember to keep your dial tuned into WKPX-9, 98.9 FM— _your_ station for the latest in new and popular music!” 

Beth's finger hit the 'record' button the second the DJ said his last word, and nodded to Jody as the cassette started to record. 

The girls tried to keep silent as they rocked out with Billy Joel—they already had two recordings where their own singing got in the way of the song they were trying to get off the radio. It seemed that the third time was the charm, because they managed to to do nothing more than mouth the words to each other, biting at their lips and covering their mouths with their hands when they couldn't hold either their giggles or their singing in. 

Jody stopped the recording when Blondie came on. They already had the album and Jody never liked wasting space on a cassette; Beth honestly thought that Jody didn't like having to rewind the tape back to the precise moment when the new song started, but didn't have any hard proof—Jody, of course, would deny it until blue in the face, even if one hundred percent true. 

“I think we got it,” Jody crowed, drumming her fingers on Beth's arm in anticipation of their success. 

If Beth fiddled a little longer than usual with making sure the tape was rewound correctly, it was only a secret for herself. Jody, impatient, started to whine a little, and the drumming on Beth's arm became harder with every second that passed. 

“Here,” Beth said, grinning as she started the tape only to hear the DJ's 'music!' right before the music came in. 

The recording came out practically perfect for her and Jody to rock out to.

* * *

“I _cannot_ actually believe what Tracy and Samantha are saying about our summer,” Beth moaned, leaning her forehead against Jody's shoulder as Jody finished up the last of her Hostess cake. 

“I can.” 

Beth peered up at Jody, who was now licking at her fingers with a relish borne from an expectation of not knowing when her next meal would come—despite the fact that she had been having her three squares a day for the last two months, it would take longer than that, Beth knew, for Jody to become accustomed to the routine. 

“How come?” 

“Because they want to be popular.” Jody paused to look down at Beth with a smirk. “You should know that more than anyone else, City Girl.” 

“Haha, Jody, very funny.” She paused before asking, “Are you saying we're popular now?” And while Beth knew the answer, but she also wanted, in a little snide place in her heart, Jody to have to say it. 

Jody let out an overly tortured groan. “I guess.

“But I don't care about any of that.” Jody paused, licking her lips as though nervous. Beth sat up a little in worry. “You don't care about that, right, Beth?” 

“Jody, I can't even believe that you're asking me that.” Beth scoffed and ran her fingers through Jody's hair before patting it back down to a manageable look. “We're best friends, Jody, I don't care about anyone else in the entire county, or even in the entire country!” 

“What about the rest of the world?” Jody wheedled, and Beth laughed as Jody started nudging at Beth's ribs with her elbow. 

“The rest of the world too,” Beth agreed easily, waggling her fingers in Jody's face to threaten Jody's own ribs. Jody, as always, started laughing at just the sight of Beth's threat. 

“Good. Then we'll be fine no matter what anyone says about the summer.”

* * *

“—friends with her if not for me and Tracy.” 

The end of the statement came into Beth's hearing just as she rounded the corner, but she didn't realize that she was one of the subjects of conversation until Jamie Iverson excitedly asked her what it was like to be 'practically famous—you're like Cher.' 

Beth shrugged—she was trying to become better at avoiding those types of questions but still found herself having a long way to go—and kept her eyes on the prize: Jody's locker at the other end of the hallway. Jody, herself, was leaning idly against it, legs and arms crossed, back hunched, until she was more slouch than person. Grinning, Beth waved like she was a total dork-wad. Not seeming to mind her utter geekiness at all, Jody grinned back at Beth before shouldering her way past other students crowding the hall to walk the rest of the way to the cafeteria with her. 

“Hey, Beth, was Algebra a total snoozefest?” Jody asked as soon as she got close enough to be heard over the chatter. 

“As always,” Beth replied, already groaning at the thought of the homework she still had to finish by Friday. 

The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder, chattering about nothing of real consequence until Beth said, “They're still talking about us, you know.” 

Jody nodded easily. “People are saying that we're going to guest star on _Dallas_.” 

“Nuh-uh,” Beth disagreed, “I heard it was _The Facts of Life_.” 

They looked at each other before bursting out in laughter. A few people in the hall turned to stare as they continued to crack up, but turned away soon enough—most likely when they realized that it was only herself and Jody, the two weirdos who just so happened to the be the most famous thing to happen to Wheaton since the gold rush. 

“Are you coming over after school?” 

“Your mom's letting us do homework together again?” Jody asked. 

Beth snorted. “Yeah, right—I'll just tell her that I don't have any.” 

“Will she believe that?” 

“No way, but she knows I'll get it done.” 

“Sooner or later,” Jody teased. “Like in homeroom.” 

“Like you're any better,” Beth groused back, her expression easily turning into a smile as Jody shrugged, unrepentant. 

The cafeteria was already more than two-thirds filled, and Beth was happy that Matt had made the both of them lunch that morning before going to the station—by the time she and Jody would have made their way through the line, after all, lunch would practically be over. 

“Come on, Beth, or someone will take our table!” 

“No one will take our table, it's the worst one.” 

By any measure of social capital, Beth was absolutely correct—the table was plastered in the far corner of the cafeteria, and really only sat two or three people comfortably. It was also the perfect table for Beth and Jody, who didn't want any other company besides each other. 

“I heard on WKPX-9 that ABBA is finishing up a new album. It's supposed to be out by Christmas.” 

“No way!” 

Beth nodded. “Yeah, totally!” 

And Jody, as always, ended up being right all along—the rest of the school, the county, the world, could never break them. Not when they had each other.

**Author's Note:**

> xoxo


End file.
